Nokia’s rumored tablet looks closer to coming to fruition.
Nokia plans to launch its Windows RT-powered tablet early next year, according to the Verge, which has a few details on the rumored device.
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The tablet will be paired up with a special keyboard cover that will have its own battery, allowing it to run as an auxiliary power supply. The keyboard cover will also come with a kickstand for the tablet, and will envelop the device like a book, according to the report. The tablet will have HDMI and USB ports, a cellular connection, and boasts a 10.1-inch display like the Microsoft Surface. AT&T will reportedly be the first carrier partner to sell the device.
CNET contacted Nokia for comment, and we’ll update the story when we get a response. AT&T declined to comment on the story.
A tablet would mark a significant expansion for Nokia, which has pared down many of its side projects and focused largely on its core smartphone business and the development of its Windows Phone-powered Lumia product line. The company has seen its market share in the business tumble as it works to turn itself around.
Windows RT, a stripped down version of Windows 8 capable of utilizing more power efficient chips used in other smartphones and tablets, hasn’t shown itself to be all that popular with consumers. Surface has been the most notable product to use that version of Microsoft’s new operating system, but it likewise has seen limited demand.
It’s unclear what Nokia can really bring to the table to get consumers to start looking at Windows-powered tablets. Consumers have so far flocked to Apple’s iPad, or the array of lower-priced Android tablets from Amazon and Google.
Nokia is reportedly building a small number of tablets to start, and may debut the product at Mobile World Congress in late February. In November, a Nokia executive said the company would have a tablet running on Windows 8.